Top 14 Books of 2014

Hey guys! 

It's been another great year of books. I did not make it to my goal of reading 100 books in 2014, so I will have to try again in 2015. However, I did make it through 83 which still made it hard to decide which ones were my absolute favorites of the year. 

The following list of books are in no specific order. I did try to group the adult books and children's books together. You will notice that I was about half and half on adults' vs. kids' books this year. Being a sixth grade teacher, I make the choice to stay up to date on current children's/YA books not only so I can converse with my students, but because I like them too! (Adults, try out some books for kids or young adults this year. They don't disappoint, I promise. They are trying to create young readers, after all!) 

At the end of the list you will find 4 books from the same author. This year was my first year reading books by this Australian writer and I loved every single one them! I believe I only have one book left to read of hers and can't wait to see what she comes up with for her next book release.

Let's get started.

1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I'm not a big non-fiction reader and was intimidated by this one at first when my boyfriend recommended it to me. But I'm so glad I gave it a try because it became my favorite of the year and I flew right through it. And my dad even read it when I was done! (He said it was the first book he has read in 20+ years.) It's the story of Louis Zamperini. He was an Italian American who competed in the Olympics as a young man. He had high hopes to compete in Japan, but instead he enlisted to be a solider. From there he becomes an airman in WWII. When his bomber goes down in the middle of the ocean him and the rest of the surviving crew must fight for their lives on two rafts for an extended period of time. Little do they know that is the least of their worries, as they later become POWs. This book also tells the rest of Louie's story after the war and how he found himself and God. (I thought the movie was very good and stuck with the book for the most part, but there was no way to cover all the detail.) 

2. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg

I'm a sucker for WWII/Holocaust books, so this one fits the bill. Jacob Weisz is forced to flee Germany and joins and underground resistance group. They decided to essentially hijack railroad cars full of Jewish prisoners as it travels to a concentration camp. But the rescue operation goes terribly wrong and Jacob finds himself trapped in the cattle car. At Auschwitz he is sentenced to hard labor but also forms an alliance with Jean-Luc Leclerc, a former assistant pastor who was imprisoned for helping Jews. Together they are chosen to complete an unthinkable mission -- escape from Auschwitz. The fate of millions depends on whether they successfully flee and alert the Allies of the truth of what is happening in Poland. 

3. Angels Walking by Karen Kingsburg

I had never read a Karen Kingsburgy book before. After reading this one, I plan to read more of her books, especially as this is the first in a series about second chances. Tyler Ames is a former national baseball star that suffers a career-ending injury. He desires to put his life back together but on the road to the big leagues he lost everyone he loved including his one true love, Sami Dawson. Tyler has no choice to start back at the bottom with nothing and takes a maintenance job at a retirement home. There he forms a unique friendship with Virginia, an old woman with Alzheimer's, who thinks that Tyler is her son. It is a team of Angels walking that on the mission to restore hope for Tyler, Sami, and Virginia in order to save the future of the human race. I can't wait to see what happens next! (Book 2 will be released in April 2015.)

4. Opening the Door to Your God-Sized Dream by Holley Gerth 

This book is a 40 day devotional that really helps you to release what your true dreams are and what you need to do to achieve them. Honestly, this was the first devotional that I stuck through every single day and could not wait to get back into the next day. I will be reading many more of Holley's work this next year. 

5. Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine

I loved these 9 simple strategies from Crystal Paine. She is very transparent in her life within the book as well as her blog. It's a constant struggle to live a life with less stress, more sleep, and passion for all things, but this book really gave me some strategies to get started in the right direction. The big key for me was planning out your time in a week. Each week there are the same amount of hours, but we constantly try to stretch them in ways that are virtually impossible... at least I do. This book helped me to set a morning routine and make goals for myself. Also, it helps you find the freedom to enjoy life, and not just survive it. I will definitely be revisiting the pages I highlighted at the beginning of this new year since my first time I worked through it was this summer, which is a completely different time for a school teacher. 

6. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz 

As you can see from the cover of this book, it has won many big awards. And rightfully so. I listened to this one on audio book, and man, did this story develop in ways that I wasn't expecting. Aristotle is an angry teen who has a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it all who has an unusual way of looking at the world around them. The two boys meet at the swimming pool and seem to have nothing in common. But when the two loners start spending time together, they form a special friendship that will change their lives and last a lifetime. It is their friendship that teaches Ari and Dante about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. 

7. Petey by Ben Mikaelsen

My aunt told me I HAD to read this book, and she refused to let me say no. In fact, she made me take it home with me! And I'm so glad she did. I remember trying to read this book in grade school, but only got about halfway through. I think it was because I did not understand the different types of people within the story, due to lack of exposure. But now with an adult lens, this story was just one of those that tugged at my heart-strings. And even more so when I found out it was based on a true story. In 1922, Petey was only two when his parents committed him to the state's insane asylum. This was common practice of the time and they did not know he had cerebral palsy. Petey was bound by his wheelchair and could not communicate with those around him, at least in ways that could easily be could understood. The story progresses through decades of Petey's life with different caretakers and a best friend who truly understands Petey, but then has to leave him. He is determined to not be hurt again, so he vows to no longer get attached to new people. But things change when Trevor Ladd, a teenage boy, saves him from some bullies and sees there is more to Petey than meets the eye. 

8. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

I am not usually an emotional reader. But I will be honest, I cried through the last 15 pages of this book. Carley is a strong willed little girl who finds herself in foster care. She fights to keep a wall up between herself and her foster family, the Murphys. They have a loving and stable home, which is very different from what Carley is used to. Despite her efforts to distance herself, Carley starts to let the Murphys in and she finally feels like she belongs -- until her mother wants her back and it's up to Carley to decide where and how to live. 

9. Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

It's 1958 in Little Rock and twelve-year-old Marlee is starting middle school. She's extremely shy and withdrawn until she meets Liz, the new girl at school, who is everything Marlee wishes she could be: brave, outspoke, and always knows the right thing to say. But then Liz leaves school without saying goodbye and it is rumored that Liz was caught "passing" for white. Marlee doesn't care that her new friend is black. She just wants her back. The two girls must fight for their friendship during the time of segregation and face the dangers that it could bring to both of their families. 

10. Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz

This one has been the hit of the year in my classroom so far, for boys and girls alike! It's the story of Yanek Gruener, a young Jewish boy in the 1930's. Everything he has, and everyone he loves, have been taken away by the Nazis. When he is finally captured, his arm is tattooed to say B-3087. He is forced to survive one concentration camp after another. In fact, there are TEN different concentration camps in which he must do what it takes to survive. He battles starvation, torture, and hard labor. Yanek also fights to never lose hope and who he truly is. The most surprising thing about this book? It's based on a true story. 

Author of the Year: Liane Moriarty 

11. Big Little Lies 

This book follows three women: Madeline, the spitfire divorcee, Celeste, the abused beauty, and Jane, the single mother trying to hide her past. Their lives intertwine together during a schoolyard scandal. Was it murder, an accident, or parents just behaving badly? My jaw completely dropped at the end of this book, but I also laughed all the way through it due to the drama between PTO moms. It does not disappoint.

12. What Alice Forgot 

Alice gets the surprise of a lifetime when she wakes up after hitting her head at the gym. First of all, she can't figure out why she is at the gym since she HATES the gym. Once at the hospital she pieces together that she is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and is pregnant with her first child. None of which is true. But in fact, she is thirty-nine, getting a divorce, and has three kids. How could this have happened? Why does her sister hardly speak to her? And how did she become one of those super skinny moms in expensive clothes? Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade and try to reconstruct her life at the same time. 

13. Three Wishes

The Kettle women are triplets who are just turning thirty-three. They attract attention everywhere they go. But each of the sisters are dealing with their own share of ups and downs. Lyn's life is one big checklist, just like she likes it. Cat has just learned about a secret in her marriage. And Gemma, is hoping for lasting love although she bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark. The triplets deal with sibling rivalry and secrets, revelations and relationships, unfaithful husbands and unthinkable decisions, all while dealing with the fabulous yet frustrating life of forever being part of a trio. 

14. The Husband's Secret 

Cecilia Fitzpatrick is a successful businesswoman, member of her small community, and devoted wife and mother. Her life is orderly and spotless, just like her home. Until the day she finds a letter that her husband wrote to her that is only to be opened after his death. But he is not dead. This letter contains his deepest, darkest secret -- something that will destroy their family and the lives of others, like Rachel and Tess. 

I hope some of these books sound interesting to you and you give them a try.

 I would also love to hear what books you fell in love with this past year!